Online shopping habits in Egypt “change significantly” during the Holy Month of Ramadan, says African e-commerce outfit JUMIA.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar in which Muslims worldwide observe by fasting.

In countries that observe Ramadan, this time is also associated with a period of shortened work hours.

And statistics from JUMIA illustrate how this period could mean a boost for online shopping.

“Shorter working hours, different traffic rush hours and limited availability of physical retail outlets mean that shoppers value the speed and convenience of online shopping,” says JUMIA in a press statement.

“Consumers now are mostly online and shopping between 11 AM and 6 PM and then again from 11 PM to 3AM, with the highest peak at being between 2 PM and 3PM, which is the time just before people leave their offices,” says JUMIA.

JUMIA further notes that shorter working hours also means Egyptians have “limited time to reach their physical shopping destinations before Iftar.”

Iftar is the meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan and it occurs after sunset.

“As e-commerce continues to impact consumer behaviours, we’re keeping a close eye on buying patterns during different seasons of the year,” said Mattia Perroni, managing director for JUMIA Egypt.

JUMIA claims to have a 40% share of the online retail market in Egypt .Other markets where JUMIA operates includes the likes of Nigeria.